Zahira College Colombo, one of the pioneers at school- rugby in Sri Lanka who started playing the sport competitively in 1924, is all set to return to A Division Rugby in the 2023 Schools Rugby League.
Moose Clothing has been a valuable contributor in terms of sponsorship for sports in Sri Lanka and has come forward to support the A Division Journey of Zahira Rugby 2023 as the Main Sponsor. Apart from them, ROZA from Diamond Best Foods will also be Co-Sponsoring Zahira Rugby this year.
Sports at Zahira has achieved rapid growth over the past few years, and this includes rugby. Zahira played top division rugby in 2017, 2018, and 2019 and after playing just one year (2022) in B division they have been able to come back to A division.
They were unbeaten in League stages last year and ended up as Runners-up in the Premier Trophy. In the recently concluded CR & FC Centenary Rugby Sevens tournament Zahira displayed exceptional prowess on the field beating Vidyartha College, DS Senanayake College, and ended up as runners-up in the Plate Segment.
This year, Adhil Rafeek will captain Zahira’s first XV team with Abdullah Rizvi as Vice-Captain, while the coaching staff will be led by former Sri Lankan rugby player Anuranga Walpola.
The team has the full backing of the College administration, including the Principal and the Sports Council. Inzam Irfan will be the Team Manager and Dinesh Kumara will serve as the team’s trainer and back-line coach. Kicking will be overseen by Dev Anand, with Mohamed Nafess serving as an assistant trainer. Dilupa Chathuranga will be the team’s masseur and. Dr. K D Devapriya will also serve as the official doctor for the Zahira 1st XV Rugby team.
Zahira College is one of four schools in the island that began Rugby and won the Maiden League title in 1934. It dominated the rugby arena until the 1960s, when it last won the League title in 1962, and it will be a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming Schools Rugby League 2023. This year, they will kick off their season on June 24th at Bogambara Stadium with their first match against Dharmaraja College Kandy.